I’m a life and leadership coach, community builder, writer and mom to two high energy boys who challenge me to grow into my best self.

Motherhood has transformed me and set me on a course to live a truly E.P.I.C. life. Now, as the founder of Mother’s Quest, I’m also on a mission to use my gifts to help you live yours.

professional bio

mother’s quest founder, julie neale honors the magic, mess, and meaning of parenthood and believes our children challenge us to grow into our best selves.

She is on a mission to live a truly E.P.I.C. life and, through her example, inspire her children to do the same.

Her “for-purpose” venture, Mother’s Quest, provides inspiration, coaching and relationship-building so that mothers, and those who work with young people, can connect to support and resources, fulfill their unique purpose, and live their E.P.I.C. lives.

After a 20-year career as a leader in youth-serving non-profit organizations, Julie turned her focus to coaching, training at the Coaches Training Institute, and facilitating a process known as “reflection” for youth development professionals.

Through this and her parenting experience, she realized that mothers need an opportunity to reflect on their own growth, dreams, and plans and created Mother’s Quest to champion them.

With calm and care, Julie taps into her own curiosity and intuition, to help her clients slow down from the busyness of life and work, reflect on what matters, clarify a future vision, and move into action.

Julie writes about the transformative experience of parenting in her own life at mothersquest.com and in the Mother’s Quest Facebook community. She hosts the Mother’s Quest Podcast, which launched in December 2016 and recently released its 59th episode in season four that began in April 2019. She brings the same curiosity and presence she taps into with her coaching clients to empowering conversations with her podcast guests.

In the fall of 2017, Julie founded the Women Podcasters in Solidarity Initiative, to raise awareness and dollars for social justice issues through the power of podcasting. The first season focused on anti-racism and police accountability. The episodes of those who contributed, including three from Mother’s Quest, can be found at www.womenpodcastersinsolidarity.com. A fall 2018 season focused on gun safety culminated with an episode with Sybrina Fulton.

Julie received her Masters in City Planning, Community Development from UC Berkeley and a BA in Communication Studies from UCLA, where she met her husband. She currently lives with her husband and two boys in the San Francisco Bay Area.

When she’s not wrestling with her first grader or driving her teen to basketball practice, you can find her squeezing in ten minutes of yoga and meditation (believing something is better than nothing!) and staying up way too late to watch Handmaid’s Tale and Super Soul Sunday.

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mother’s quest founder’s circle

The Founder’s Circle is an inner council of advisers who collaborate and partner with the Mother’s Quest Founder, Julie Neale, to bring the vision of Mother’s Quest alive. These mothers resonate with being on their own quest and each have their own individual gift and passion to bring to the Mother’s Quest community.

jenjii hysten

Reflections on Mother’s QuestOne of the things women are never told when they become mother is a piece of us dies, and you are reborn. As a professional woman I wasn’t prepared for the way motherhood turned my life upside down. I needed community, I needed other mothers to mentor me, guide me, cry with me and just assure me that even in the instantly of it all I was still a good mother. Almost eight years later I have found my rhythm in mothering. I choose into Mother’s Quest Founders Circle because I believe it will create opportunities for mothers to be seen, heard and supported. It just makes sense. As mothers we must take time to dream again, create again and find new pathways to our EPIC life. As women we are powerful, we are strong and the more we walk in that power and strength the world becomes a better place. Mother’s Quest gives a place for Mommy to refuel so she can go be the Super Her her children and the world needs.

BioJenjii is an advocate, teacher, student, facilitator and a voice for the voiceless. In her 20+ years, Jenjii has served as a Program Director, Executive Director, Dean of Students, Curriculum Designer and currently is the Co-founder and CEO of Hysten Consulting, LLC. Jenjii studied Interdisciplinary-Studies with an emphasis on Urban/Economic Development at UC Berkeley, is an ordained minister, holds a CompassPoint Executive Director certificate and has been coaching and consulting for numerous years, with great success. As a coach, Jenjii can quickly assess complex organizational issues and develop creative, integrated best practices that lead to programmatic and organizational change. She utilizes the power of metaphors and storytelling to connect program challenges to theoretical frameworks.

cameron miranda

Reflections on Mother’s QuestThere is nothing quite like the earth-shattering event of becoming a mother. Being a person who tends to jump into things and then deals with the “what did I just do” aftermath, I felt like a terrified teenager at her first high school dance the moment I became a mom. Seven years later, I still have no idea what I am doing most of the time but I am grateful for the constant demands of my daughters to grow, learn, and risk screwing up repeatedly. I am a member of Mother’s Quest Founder’s Circle because I want to be a part of an honest, challenging, and committed group of mothers who leave perfectionism at the door to engage in a process of self-discovery, fulfillment, and purpose. I believe in the potential of the Mother’s Quest community to contribute to a new thread of modern motherhood where deep conversations and intentional actions lay the groundwork for more enriching, connected, and meaningful lives.

BioCameron Miranda is a mother of two mighty daughters ages 7 and 5. She and her amazing husband, Adam (who thankfully always finds light at the end of a tantrum black tunnel) live and work in Santa Fe, NM. Cameron is committed to fighting for social justice through her various philanthropic and non-profit endeavors. She is the Vice President of the Board of the Cricket Island Foundation which supports youth organizers nationally. Locally, she sits on a variety of non-profit boards and committees in the areas of women and girls rights, suicide intervention, and youth development. Cameron enjoys the infinite beauty of New Mexico, coaching high school tennis, and spending time with her family and friends.

laura peck

Reflections on Mother’s QuestMy kids are grown, but even as I step into being an elder, a grandmother, I am still learning how to be a mother. I chose to lend my care and attention to Mother’s Quest because I am committed to Julie’s vision of reflection, courage and community as strategies for raising families and healing the world. I am committed to living an intergenerational life where young mothers and new grandmothers learn and laugh and figure it out together.

BioLaura Peck is a mother and grandmother, continuously amazed by her confident and wholly original adult children and the joy of being around a newer human, now 2 and ½.

Laura’s been consulting to organizations and leaders for over 30 years, bringing clarity, curiosity, and straight talk to helping groups think well together about what matters most. http://www.laurapeckconsulting.com/

A Philadelphia native, she arrived in the bay area in 1972 and never looked back. Home is the east bay where her husband’s cooking, a daily yoga practice and friends and family keep her nourished and strong. She serves on the board of Ashby Village, a non-profit that mobilizes neighbors to care for each other as they age in place.

divya silbermann

Reflections on Mother’s QuestI met Julie in the spring of 2016. I remember in our very first meeting, Julie shared her vision for Mother’s Quest, and sat on the edge of my seat as she talked about this community of mothers – a place that gave space, support and inspiration for a mother to not only articulate her dreams but to take the steps she needed to live a full and epic life. I instantly saw myself a part of this group. Raising 2 boys in the last 5 years has been the most life changing experience I’ve gone through. I continue to learn and grow and be surprised by them everyday. I want to find a place where I can share these stories and be inspired to navigate this unknown path. There are places I can go to learn about books and toys and schools and sleep training etc…but I really wanted to be part of a community of mothers that connected on a much deeper level. I believe Mother’s Quest is that place.

For all these reasons, I joined the Founder’s Circle. But most importantly, I saw Julie’s honest passion and eagerness to do good in the world and I was instantly moved by her. I believe that if she has supporters around her that this vision will come to life and be meaningful to so many others. I want to be that cheerleader and adviser.

BioDivya Silbermann grew up in Bangalore India and currently lives in San Francisco with her husband Ben and their 2 high energy boys – Maxarun and Miles. Divya is passionate about building a culture, identifying talent and coaching great leaders. Divya has had a 10 year career in HR. She was a founding member of the Facebook HR team, and also worked at startups like Eventbrite. When her first son Max was born, Divya decided to follow a dream and start her own leadership coaching practice because of her fierce belief that so many people are at the edge of greatness, and all they need is strong partnership, accountability and someone to motivate them. www.bravecoaching.co

jane sperling wise

Reflections on Mother’s QuestBeing a mother is a privilege I don’t take lightly. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a mom to my two sons. It fills me with the greatest joys, and often, the biggest feelings of defeat. Having family, friends, and community share in this incredible process keeps me going. It fuels my sense of hope and grounds me in my purpose. I chose into the Mother’s Quest Founders Circle because the vision of Mother’s Quest resonates with my hopes and dreams – to provide support and inspiration for mothers to live engaged, purposeful lives where we are able to invest in ourselves as well as create meaningful connection for our families and communities. I chose in because I believe in the power of community to heal and transform. I chose in because I believe in Julie Neale – her intentionality, thoughtfulness, and wisdom have inspired me ever since I met her over 15 years ago.

BioJane Sperling Wise is on a quest to bring her best self into her time with family, friends, work, and community. Jane has served as a leader in Bay Area youth-serving non-profits for the past 23 years, most recently as a Program Director and later Development Director at Alternatives in Action. As a consultant, she enjoys bringing her compassionate approach to facilitation, community-building, and strategic planning to non-profits, foundations, and change-makers. Jane holds a BA from Harvard University and a Masters degree in Management & Planning from the School of Social Welfare at UC Berkeley. She and her husband are raising their two elementary school-aged boys in Berkeley, California. As a mom, Jane aspires to the model her own mother set – always encouraging Jane to follow her passions, and for sharing her love of the arts, humor, and the power of being our authentic self.